Timothy sullivan



UNITED STATES TIMOTHY SULLIVAN,

OF NEVI YORK, N. Y.

TOOL FOR CUTTING AND PULLING THREAD.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,244, dated February 21, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY SULLIVAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Device for Pulling Out and Cutting Basting- Thread; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of my invention, and Fig. 2 is a similar View of a modification of the same.

Similar letters of reference in both figures indicate corresponding parts.

To remove basting thread from a fabric, with which it may have been used, is a very tedious operation, if it has to be done by using the lingers and common scissors; much time is lost in taking up the scissors and laying them down, or in opening and closing the same, and the thread is very apt to cut the lingers. An implement therefore, which facilitates the operation of pulling out bast ing thread is much needed, and my device for this purpose combines in its simplest state a linger like prong which serves to pull out the thread, with a cutting edge so that the thread can be severed whenever it is desired without a moments loss of time. In some cases it may be desirable, to have the thread puller so arranged that loose ends of thread, sticking out from the fabric, can be taken hold of, and pulled out without laying the implement away, and for this reason I have attached to my device a spring jaw which can be pressed up against the original implement, so that loose threads can be removed.

To enable others skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, with reference to the drawings.

My implement consists of a knife like blade A, bent downward as clearly shown in Fig. l, so as to form an inclined plane, and to allow its point to catch more readily under the thread. The point B is rounded so as to form a finger like prong and it is bent back again so that it is parallel with the handle C. The blade A, is secured to the handle C in the usual manner, and the handle may be formed of wood, or any other material, and in any desirable shape, so as to be handy and handsome at the same time. The blade A terminates in a shoulder a, which prevents the thread slipping beyond the cutting edge.

In order to remove the basting thread from some fabric with this implement, the prong B, is thrust under the lirst link of the thread, and by forcing the tool upward, the thread comes out in the same manner, as it is done with the fingers. There the thread would not come out, and when it has to be cut, the tool is thrust in far enough to bring the thread on the cutting edge of the blade A, and it can now be cut and removed without difliculty. With this implement the loose ends of the thread have to be pulled out with the lingers, and in order to avoid this, and to enable me to use my device during the whole operation, I have attached to the same a spring' jaw D, as shown in Fig. Q.

The prong B, and the cutting blade A, are used precisely in the same manner as above described, and they are so formed that they form a flat surface on that side toward the jaw D, and the point of said jaw is turned out a little, so that the ends of the thread pass readily between it and the flat side of the blade, and that by pressing on the jaw the thread is firmly grasped, and that it can be pulled out of the fabric in the same manner and with the same ease as with the fingers.

The cheapness of this implement, and its practicability, recommends it to all persons that have much sewing to do, and especially to such as work on sewing machines, where` a thorough basting is more desirable than with hand sewing.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isd

l. The combination of the blade A, with the finger like prong B, er its equivalent, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

2. The arrangement of the spring jaw D, in combination with the blade A, and prong B, constructed and operating substantially as, and for the purpose described.

TIMOTHY SULLIVAN.

Vitnesses:

B. GIROUX, NM THOMPSON. 

